Collings and Woodruff Lead SU to Season-Opening Victory Against Niagara

Friday, August 25

SU Soccer Stadium

7:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

Niagara

Isaac Collings registered a goal and an assist in SU's season-opeing triumph versus Niagara.

Collings and Woodruff Lead SU to Season-Opening Victory Against Niagara

8/25/2006 10:45:52 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior Isaac Collings (Oriskany, N.Y.) and freshman Hansen Woodruff (Stuart, Fla.) each notched a goal and an assist to lead the Orange men’s soccer team (1-0-0) to a 3-1 triumph against Niagara (0-1-0) in the season opener for both teams on Friday, Aug. 25 in front of 1,018 fans at the SU Soccer Stadium. The crowd was the largest home draw for the Orange since Oct. 19, 2002 when 1,066 spectators watched SU take on St. John's.

Woodruff, playing in his first collegiate match, threaded a shot past Niagara keeper James McKenna at 50:34 to put the Orange in front, 2-0. Collings assisted on the play as the pair teamed up for a give-and-go on a Purple Eagles defender. Collings extended SU’s lead to 3-0 six minutes and 10 seconds later when he buried a shot in the back of the net at the 56:44 mark. Woodruff set up Collings’ goal finding freshman Luis Martinez (Morristown, N.J.) in the box. Martinez one-timed Woodruff’s feed to Collings for the tally. Martinez also received an assist on the play for his first collegiate point.

“Hansen’s a difference maker,” SU head coach Dean Foti said. “With his speed and his feet, in terms of skill with the ball, he’s going to be dangerous and a guy that can really create some goals.”

SU controlled the match from the outset, out-shooting the Purple Eagles, 10-3, in the opening half. Sophomore Kyle Hall (Toronto, Ontario) opened the scoring for Syracuse when he slid a shot into the lower left corner of the Niagara net with 1:04 left to play in the first period. Hall’s conversion came on a feed by sophomore Jimmy Linus (Blue Bell, Pa.) who played the ball to Hall’s feet with a long pass from the midfield to the right side of the box. It was Hall’s first goal as a member of the Orange and Linus’ second career assist.

Trailing 3-0 late in the second half, Niagara began to push forward and got on the scoreboard with 4:45 to play in the match on a goal by Michael Malone.

Syracuse sophomore keeper Robert Cavicchia (North York, Ontario) made four saves to pick up the eighth win of his career. McKenna stopped two shots in net for the Purple Eagles.

SU’s three goals were the most for the Orange since it scored three times against Pittsburgh in the 2004 season finale.

“The guys did a good job of being sharp in the attacking half of the field early in the game,” Foti said. “If you can do that early it takes the pressure off late in the game.”

Hall and Martinez each made their first SU starts in the match. Junior Aaron Bonser (Fairport, N.Y.) also started for the Orange after missing all of 2005 with an injury.

Syracuse will take to the road for its next match. The Orange will play at Loyola (Md.) on Friday, Sept. 1. Kickoff is 4:00 p.m.